So, funny story. Two years ago this week, Lindsey and I were in New York to be on the TODAY show. (Did you miss our 4 ½ minutes of fame? You can see them here.) The next day was rainy – very rainy – and we were killing time in a bookstore in the basement…
Life Stuff
On Being in a Book Club
Our book club began in a grade school parking lot. A few of us who had pickup duty began talking about it, we each invited a couple of others, and the club was born in this most casual of ways. It stuck, too. Unlike clubs that seem to work on paper but don’t in real life…
Lake Weekend
Last weekend Tom and I took Grant and seven of his high school friends to the Lake of the Ozarks for his birthday. Lindsey went too, brave soul. We stayed in two trailers owned by Tom’s mom: boys in one; Tom, Lindsey and me in the other. This is the fourth year we’ve done this. Can I tell…
Simplifying Idea: Use Your Email Inbox as a To-Do List
Recently I was getting a long overdue allergy shot, and I commented to the nurse that it was somehow harder to get there once a month than it had been when I was coming in once a week. She told me that she hears that all the time, and asked if I had signed up…
When an Introvert and an Extrovert Get Married
A number of years ago – ten or more – Tom and I walked into a social function at church. It was either a casino night or a wine tasting (we’re Catholic so those are normal church functions for us), and as I scanned the room I said to Tom, “I don’t see any…
Simplifying
I haven’t been to an estate sale in months. I get the emails and page through the pictures of what’s for sale, but not much appeals to me. It seems that these days I’m more interested in editing the contents of my house and my life than adding to them. This isn’t a new phase. Years…
4 Things I Learned About Creating a Life in 2014
It’s a gift to have my family under one roof. I know these days will be fewer and fewer and, honestly, the almost empty nest has its advantages too, but for this year, Christmas 2014, all four of us have been under one roof for two full weeks, with two weeks still to go, and…
A Year of Creating This Life
Last September I picked up my parents at the airport and, as we were driving, I was updating them on what was new with the family. At some point my mom asked, “So what’s new with you?” and I mentioned that I had started a new blog. “What’s it called?” she asked. “Creating This Life,” I answered….
Favorite Quotes about Creating a Life
I don’t consider myself a collector, but I suppose there are some things that I do love having around me. Dishes, for instance, and books. And quotes. I’m always editing my collections of dishes and books, but quotes are another matter. No need to edit there. When you visit the blog, you’ll find a Quotable section in the sidebar…
Naperville, Pretty Houses and Resale Shop Plates
From October, 2011: Last week I attended the Financial Blogger Conference in Chicago (or Schaumburg to be more specific). After it was over, I gave myself the gift of an extra day and a half in the Windy City, because I love that place. On Sunday afternoon, I hit up IKEA and then took a…
